The Boston Celtics should learn very soon whether James Posey will be helping them defend the NBA title next season.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday night that unrestricted free-agent Posey is about to make a decision on his future.

Agent Mark Bartlestein told the newspaper Posey will sign a multi-year contract in “a day or two.’’

Whether that deal will be with the Celtics, the team he helped end a 22-year championship drought, or another team remains to be seen.

Posey opted out of the second year of a two-year l contract he signed with the Celtics last August.

Instead of earning the $3.4 million he signed for last summer, Posey is expected to earn close to $5 million beginning in the 2008-09 season.

Teams have been negotiating with Posey since midnight on July 1, and contracts could be signed beginning Wednesday.

While there has been a flurry of activity around the NBA, Posey has remained on hold as he weighs options.

The Celtics, who can offer the mid-level exception beginning at $5.585 million in ’08-09, have competition for Posey, their best bench player in the championship season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, who like the Celtics are over the salary cap, entered the picture this week.

General manager Danny Ferry has been in talks with Bartelstein to bring Posey home to Ohio.

Posey is from Twinsburg, Ohio, and played his college basketball at Xavier in Cincinnati.

The Cavaliers, looking for depth to contend with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference, could use a versatile forward like Posey, who plays defense and can hit 3-pointers.

The San Antonio Spurs, another team looking for a boost after losing in the Western Conference finals, has shown interest in Posey along with the New Orleans Hornets, a surprise team in the Western Conference last season.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons have also been thrown into the mix, but it is unlikely Posey will land in either of those two spots.

Posey, who turns 32 in January, is probably looking for a contract that covers the next four seasons.

The Celtics likely do not want to tie up their entire mid-level exception for that long and have Posey under contract until he is 36.

Posey has stated he would like to return to the Celtics, and his teammates have given a vote of confidence to management.

The Celtics courted free-agent Corey Maggette with the mid-level exception, but he left the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, agreeing to a five-year, $50 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Should Posey find a new team like Maggette, the Celtics would have a significant hole on their bench.

Posey was a constant spark in a reserve role and played a key role in the Game 4 comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers that turned the NBA Finals in Boston’s favor.

Page 2 of 2 - The Celtics have already committed more than $70 million to players for next season, well above the $58,680,000 salary cap that was set earlier this week.

The Celtics, according to ESPN, will be paying a luxury tax of $8,218,368 for the 2007-08 title season after exceeding the tax level.